The Wall You Call Apathy
by K Double Prime
Summary: AU I-pin studies in Nami Chuu along with her friends and brother, Tsuna, and inevitably encounters the merciless Hibari Kyoya. But then, their entwined past causes them to be engaged to one another in secrecy. "You should do whatever you want to do before you marry me," was what Hibari told her. What kind of events will transpire? YamaPin and HibaPin, T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! I'm back again with a short story, well maybe not short if it gets out of hand. But then again, I was inspired by the appearance of new stories about 18I that I couldn't help but write as well. So if the authors of those stories can read this, thank you!**

**I know it took so long before I wrote again, but please enjoy.**

**I do not own KHR.**

**Warning: this story is AU and I had a plot bunny so I cannot assure the quality of the plot at all.**

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The Wall You Call Apathy

-Touch Me Not-

"Another day in hell, huh?" asked a bored boy as he roused from his dreams. He wiped at his forehead, apparently he was having a nightmare; a nightmare he couldn't remember but all too well he knew that it was of importance.

You see, sometimes dreams reflect memories. But all in a twisted manner. It changes constantly, morphing, connecting different memories and then inciting the will of the subconscious thus allowing extraordinary powers to come into play.

But that has nothing to do with today.

He went on with his preparations to go to school, his beloved school, so that he can protect it from other students who wish to deface it. That and he must see somebody that has aggravated him from before to dish out punishment.

Time passed by slow, or maybe he was simply thinking too much and his brain functioned at the speed of light, or simply that he was anticipating a pretty good fight. But everything seemed to pulse as he stepped into the school grounds. Excited as he was, he could not wait to encounter that herbivore who had guts of steel to stop his rampage the other day.

"Where is she?" he hissed.

The other boy of this scene, the one whose hair was coiffed, could only offer a deep scowl as he was also afraid that his _boss_ would get out of control again. With the task at hand though, he can't help but answer to the rhetorical question posed earlier,

"Chairman, she is a freshman in class B. Her name is Sawada I-pin."

The so-called Chairman stopped and his eyes glinted like that of predator. He replied, his voice a cool baritone, "Sawada? Is she related to _that_ Sawada?"

"Yes, she is, sir."

A somewhat happy snort came out of the Chairman's lips. It was gonna be a good day.

Half a day had passed and the young girl that was named I-pin could only stare at her lunchbox as she took it out of her bag. She was not in the mood to eat as a great misfortune looms over her and has yet to claim her poor soul.

As it is, earlier in this story, it was stated that the Chairman was looking for her. And that was what that troubled her. The feeling is like a prisoner on death row on whom the new day rolls upon, with no knowledge if it would be his last day on earth.

So she felt that way all day, considering only a half had passed, and she was expecting him to be at her throat the very moment she arrived at school. And to this, her friends and sibling have been worried of her state the same length of time.

Her brother, Tsuna, had been aware of it since the evening they met up to go home but his sister refused to yield. So he asked again, "Come on I-pin, you can tell us. I know we can help!" He said, his honey eyes squinted in worry.

But his sister slammed her hand at her desk in resistance, "I told you before Tsu-nii, I just can't! I know that you know you can help," it sounded painful to the others that had crowded around her, "But I don't want you, alright? Just… just leave me alone, please."

"But you should at least eat." Kyoko, on whom I-pin's brother is enamored with, said softly as she pat the other girl on the head.

_Yeah. Like a prisoner's last meal before she dies…_

Thus they proceeded to have a peaceful yet awkward lunch on the rooftop. Since I-pin was still being silent with an obvious problem, no one couldn't bring themselves to speak of happy thoughts, not wanting to mock the already poor girl.

A carefree laugh erupted, piercing the dense veil that surrounded them, "You're gonna waste that lunch you made if you're just staring at it," Yamamoto chided I-pin, well, of course in his special baseball-nut way, and took a piece of egg from her lunch. "Still as good as ever, eh, I-pin?"

I-pin slowly turned to him and then handed him her lunch, "You should have it. You'll need the energy for after class training."

The boy took the lunch enthusiastically, as I-pin was the best cook amongst the girls present. "Oh wow! That's great, I-pin. Maybe we should get hitched!" Yet he mumbled "Just kidding!" when he felt the brother somehow glaring at him.

The mood lightened a bit and has continued to do so until,

"Done with your last meal, herbivore?"

The deep voice scared I-pin so much that she stood quickly and separated from her friends in hopes of protecting them. Trying her best to stand tall against the demon that is the Disciplinary Committee Chariman Hibari Kyoya, she felt her legs jiggle a bit from fright. This, her sign of defiance from authority, made the boy smirk; he has never met such challenge as of yet.

"When I'm done with you, you'll never go against me ever again!"

Hibari charged at her, tonfa in each hand, and began swiping at her whilst she deftly avoided. Once the chance appeared to her, I-pin grabbed his hand as she blocked them with her palms when he punched and did again with the other. Twisting them outwards, the only reaction she ever got was a sneer from him.

Feeling jitters come down his spine, Hibari's eyes widen in disgust. "Do not touch me, herbivore!" and then threw her to the wall that enclosed the exit. He, about to deliver the finishing blow, was met by a bamboo sword pointed at his neck, the then happy Yamamoto not so happy.

"I didn't think you hit girls but now you're the lowest kind of dirt," the baseball player said, a slight growl emanating from his throat.

I-pin looked up. She now knows why her Yamamoto-senpai kept that sword, and not a bat, around him all the time. From where she was, she couldn't see what Yamamoto looked like but what she knew was that Hibari had a face as placid as a deep river. She had never seen a face so serene despite being in a heated battle.

She found herself losing her fright and her head slowly cleared as she rose from where she plopped ungracefully a little earlier.

Quickly, the Chairman reacted to her movement by swatting Yamamoto away and then aiming a punch to her stomach to which she stopped a mere inches from losing her puny lunch, both of her hands gently but firmly holding at his forearm. When she realized this and that he was looking at her, more like glaring at her, a slight blush crept on her face and she was quick to apologize; her twin braids swishing as she bowed.

Shock. Pure and utter shock. But only for a few moments, that is. It was the best time to strike, now that she was bowing like that and Hibari wasn't going to let that chance get away.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break.

-cloud-

Hibari's arm was a hair-breadth away from her nape when the school bell rang. And Yamamoto was about to thump him real hard on the head with his sword. The former boy straightened and lowered his tonfas to his sides, called the boy in pompadour and left.

I-pin straightened as well, not really sure of what was going on and had unconsciously followed the Chairman's path with her sight. Another thing is, she touched her face, as if testing if she was still alive of sorts.

"I… I'm alive, right?" she said, a bit too unbelieving, to Yamamoto's chagrin.

"Saved by the bell, is it?" was the reply of the confused boy, who had also put his weapon aside. He couldn't help but smile, "Besides I don't think he was trying to kill you."

"Just trying to put you in the hospital in a vegetative state is all!" Irritated was Gokudera, the platinum-haired boy amongst their friends, and he continued, "I don't understand why he's still here! Why isn't he expelled yet!?" and was about to start an uproar until Tsuna calmed him down.

"We're late!" I-pin was the one to throw this line to which everyone laughed; they gathered their stuff nevertheless.

They were reprimanded when they returned to their respective classes.

-cloud-

I-pin still doesn't know what to feel after that encounter with the Disciplinary Chairman.

_I am now officially on his hit list…_

She sighed. But what surprised her more is that she wasn't feeling as down as she was before. Probably because she is confident that she can handle him. Oh well.

"Are you feeling better?" Tsuna asked her as they all got together to go home, to which she answered with a nod.

"Are you really feeling better?" Yamamoto reiterated the question.

She didn't know if she's the one who isn't feeling better.

"Are _you_ feeling better?" She returned the question and got a sigh for an answer. She guessed that Yamamoto-senpai, and all the other seniors, were more affected than her. "Why does it feel that you're the one who doesn't feel better?"

The boy she was directly speaking to did not answer and instead ran a hand through his hair. And then placed his big hand over her head.

Kyoko answered for him, "Seeing you almost killed back there made us worry, you know. We're all just glad you're fine."

Ryohei, Kyoko's older brother, was all too happy to see her unscathed, "And I heard you did a great job against Hibari! So, are you going to join the boxing club any time soon?"

She shook her head negative.

-cloud-

I-pin was actually adopted into the Sawada family. Her master, she practices martial arts, left her in their care since she was five. Apparently, her master and Papa were acquainted. And to compensate for her stay, she works part-time for a ramen shop when she has time; by all means her employee was very kind.

That same night, she got a delivery to some apartment, a big and luxurious apartment at that, and had planned that it will be her last delivery for that shift. She still has her studies waiting at home and the boss wouldn't mind anyways.

So she pressed on the elevator button that corresponded to the customers address and when she got to the floor, she stumbled a bit looking for the right door. Once the right place was found, she rang the bell and spoke through the intercom (?) that delivery has arrived.

The door slowly opened but she was tending to the heavy box that she was carrying that she didn't see the astounded face of the person at the door.

"You," there was only one voice with that venom.

"You're the one from before." Hibari sneered at her. She could only cringe and then slowly offer the delivery to him. Surprisingly, he was about to take it without as much as a drop of aggression. Only when their fingers met that he growled at her not to touch him, prompting her to pull her hands quick lest she wants them safe.

From his pocket, Hibari fished out his payment and had made it an effort to not touch her in the process of handing it over. Once the ordeal was done and over, he closed the door without slamming it on her face.

"Hibari-san, you were polite after all!" I-pin said then left.

On the other side of the door though, Hibari stood there to listen through the scrappy speakers.

"Stupid herbivore."

-cloud-

The next morning, I-pin was thoughtful as she took her breakfast, and Mama was happy for that because she was eating again, not like before.

When Mama swung out of sight, she tapped Tsuna and whispered, "I didn't know the Chairman was rich."

Tsuna looked exasperated at that, "He probably got it from extortion."

"I guess you're right." She was back to her thoughts again and because of that, she arrived at a thought, a thought that she herself thought was so disgusting that she wished she can unthink that but she can't. It was already there planted in her mind. And she cannot rest until she told someone of it, "Tsu-nii, I think Hibari-san looks like my master…"

There, she said it! And it left a very bitter taste in her mouth that she was quick to drink her milk to wash it down. But no, it was still there.

Tsuna couldn't agree more.

-cloud-

She was thinking so much about it, of how much the evil Chairman looked like her master. She also remembered that moment in the rooftop where he was looking straight into her eyes. And that moment on his doorstep, where he was surprised to see her. Of course he was surprised by all means.

She sighed. Why was she thinking about him all of a sudden? Maybe it was the heart-racing action yesterday that made her brain think of it as attraction. She sighed again.

_I will simply put it as that._

Before she reached the corner of her street though, a certain black-haired boy appears and blocks her way and her brother's. Though he wasn't doing that intentionally and it was only for a few minutes as he was greeted by another boy in pompadour.

His eyes flickered to her, she knew it. But they weren't as predatory as they were like before. Too bad.

_What am I thinking!?_

Days had passed and the Chairman had never bothered I-pin again. Maybe he thinks she is dead already, by his blow no less.

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**That's done! And yes, I have decided to make this multi-chap so… hurray! Thanks for reading this far and please don't forget to leave a review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I found myself researching about Reborn as I wrote this chapter, and for the future ones as well. I missed a lot on it because I wasn't a diehard fan of KHR anyway. But I am a fan of HibaPin. Also, Yamamoto did not comment on I-pin being pretty in the manga, sad to say. But oh well… Hearts, hearts everywhere.**

**I do not own KHR!**

**Warning: AU and (possibly) contains altered events from the manga/anime (duh). **

**Forgive me.**

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The Wall You Call Apathy

-Peace Flutters By-

Days turned to weeks, as time went by, I-pin couldn't help but ponder on the fact why the Chairman no longer bothered her, when she had time of course. All those reviewing and attending cram schools had been taking most of her time. Also, her friends also wanted to escape studying once in a while and that Yamamoto-senpai was demanding more time than usual, she was becoming locked on to these things that society has imposed on every living human being.

In the end, no one could agree on any time on the coming weekend because midterms was just around the corner, peeking its disgusting face to stick its tongue out to annoy you.

She sighed and keyed in her message to Yamamoto: "I don't know. I still have cram school on Saturday…" and then sent it.

A few minutes later, she anticipated his reply only to see a message from Kyoko. It read "Why don't we study together?"

It was risky. Them together in a single room studying different things ought to go out of control in a few hours. Not to mention that the presence of one another is distraction already.

She keyed in again, "I don't think that it would benefit any of us. We'll just get distracted by each other."

Leaving her phone and replacing it with her notes, she got busy again. And she didn't notice much time pass until there was a repetitive buzz on the table top; Yamamoto was calling her. Not this time.

"I'm sorry Yamamoto-senpai," then she rejected the call. Sooner or later her brother would come in and demand an answer from her any way. The door opened with a creak within few minutes she got into reading her notes.

Tsuna couldn't look any more tired. "So?" Tsuna said as he sat down on the floor and slumped on her low table.

"So? Well, I think you should call it a day." She said patting her older brother on the forehead. He simply groaned.

"Why can't I have your brain?"

"You just have to find a way that can help you remember things more… Like associating them with Kyoko-san's actions or something!" I-pin smiled innocently; she knew well that her brother liked that girl so much.

Tsuna flailed at the question; I-pin just struck gold. "W-What!? What are you t-talking about!?"

There goes the buzzing again. The two looked at the phone buzzing on the table and with her brother present, she just can't reject Yamamoto's call. She sighed and picked up the phone with a pinch of reluctance. As for the reluctance, she did not understand why.

"Hello?" there was silence and a slight blush tainted her cheeks and she couldn't help but shout a bit, "What!? What are you t-talking about!?" That line seemed familiar… "Shouldn't you be studying?"

"Well, it's not that I don't like to or anything… but I still have cram school so," and I-pin's eyes fell on Tsuna, who was looking up at her where he was currently slumped with a big, knowing grin on his face.

"Can you hold on a bit?" and I-pin parted with the device and clamped a hand over it, "Stop it, Tsu-nii!"

"Is Yamamoto asking you for a date?" the older one babbled louder on purpose.

Which made his sister whisper like a hissing cat, "Of course not! He was just asking if I was in the bathroom!"

"Yeah, right." Tsuna knows well how she feels, what with Kyoko and his conquest having her finally see him differently.

She got back to the phone and when she did, Yamamoto was laughing soundly on the other end.

"What's so funny?" then she blushed again, "Stop saying that! Tsu-nii gets the wrong idea even though he's dense," more laughing on the other end. Her already present blush deepened after a short silence from her side.

Tsuna continued to stare at her, prompting I-pin to shift and tuck her hair behind her ear. Still not wanting to lose to his sister in terms of teasing, the brunette continued until I-pin admitted defeat, "I can see sparkles in your eyes!" that which made the girl forgot that she's still on her phone,

"Stop it already! I'm embarrassed as it is!" If she could get redder she could have, but no, she can only be red from head to toe. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… Stupid Tsu-nii!... Yeah, I'll see you on Saturday."

Click! I-pin placed the phone on the table beside her notes which she quickly turned her attention to, so that Tsuna would just stop with the teasing. She already got the idea that it was revenge.

"So, how did it go?"

The simple question made her blush again, and from her notes to her brother, it took her quite a while to actually achieve eye contact, "Well… I… He…" and I-pin chopped Tsuna on the head with her hand, "You idiot! Why don't you just go study!?"

"Only if you tell me," that moment, Tsuna had a sinister glow to his eyes. He will not stand to have his little sister to be taken by his friend. The bro code must not be broken by any chance! Wait, that means that he can't woo Kyoko, right? Okay so it's not about the bro code of not hooking up with your friend's sister! Wait, he met Kyoko before he became friends with Ryohei! It doesn't matter!

"It's nothing really! He just asked me to go batting!" I-pin said with deadly deadpan voice without ripping her eyes off of her notes.

"Batting? Why did you agree?"

"I don't know."

"You know what I-pin, if you like Takeshi, just say so," Tsuna put bluntly. This straightforward statement made the girl flustered that she couldn't understand any word that she was reading from her papers. She could see them but the fact that images of the said boy ran around her head was unsettling.

Finally giving up, she said meekly, "That's not true! I…" Before she could finish though, the image of the Chairman passed her mind like a lightning strike. Of all things… but it was better than none. "I like the Chairman!"

Tsuna fainted after that.

-cloud-

Papa's brusque physique rippled as he took Tsuna on his shoulder as if he were a small bag of potatoes, "What were you doing to your brother, huh, I-pin?" he said as he steadied the boy making sure he wouldn't fall off.

"We were just talking and he suddenly had… like… a blue screen of death look and then fainted. Maybe it's from all the studying he's been doing," I-pin's logical explanations would always persuade Papa but she's keeping her fingers crossed. She needs all the luck she could get after all.

After some moment of thinking, Papa finally accepted with a frown, "I guess you're right. Tsuna never had a thing for studying anyway." Then he left with her brother in tow.

A moment of pause hit her, maybe from remembering her conversation with Tsuna, and the moment she came back to the real world, she quickly strode to the door and to the hall, hollering at her Papa how rude of him to not have any confidence in Tsuna.

"Yeah, yeah," was what Papa said. She wasn't actually sure.

She returned to her studies, seemingly unable to concentrate and thus arrived at the thought that she would just go to sleep.

_What was I thinking!?_

**The next morning**

Tsuna had overslept and it had given I-pin the chance to avoid any conversation about last night's topic, which was good. But things like those, she believes, cannot stay in the dark for too long. Because one day, she would have to pour out her feelings to one of her female friends and it will surely find a way to her brother.

On her way to school, she saw Hibari again, the same way she did as before, but this time, he didn't even give her an ounce of attention, like even a flicker of his eyes towards her direction. She was content with that. She'd rather not fight with anyone right now; she might break bones.

A little bit ways to school, it was twenty minutes before the bell rang, Yamamoto joined her, not in baseball uniform or any sportswear of the sort as he did every day before. Surprised was an understatement.

"No practice today?" I-pin blurted but was quick to decide that what she did was wrong. Feeling that she hadn't displayed any awkwardness, because of last night, I-pin felt like she was making Yamamoto feel that he didn't have a chance. And the opposite, too.

A little silent at that and Yamamoto looked at her with crooked brows. There was something more important about how her actions were making him feel, she knew. "Oh that. I quit baseball." Something heavy resides underneath his words.

"What, why? You love baseball, right?"

That made Yamamoto look surprised. He stopped on his tracks, too. I-pin waited for him. It looked like he was so pained, that he had to say something, a lot of things, but he can't.

"Well, I have to concentrate on my studies, you know." Yamamoto continued to walk and talk, "I can't get into the leagues if don't get to college… or something." But there was a sorrowful note at the end of it.

I-pin simply looked straight and so did Yamamoto, "Why do I feel like you're hiding something?"

"Don't we all?" They walked to the shoe lockers in that same silence; it wasn't fun. "Well, I found a better game. And I have to train kendo for it."

What kind of game that needs kendo? What does he mean, isn't kendo a kind of game already?

"So, we'll still go batting tomorrow?" the boy asked in hopes of changing the subject and hopeful she hadn't changed her mind due to him being sad and mopey. But a person being mopey means he needed some companionship, right?

I-pin was about to answer when somebody came tumbling in. At the rate he was going, some great force had obviously done that to him. The curious girl ran over to the person that entered without grace and was surprised to see that it was no other than the Chairman.

I-pin looked around. No one wanted to help the poor boy but her, for it was already dangerous trying to approach the Chairman. She was about to turn him over to see if he was still alive when he roared at her not to touch him. Angered, she did not understand the detached nature of this boy, "I was just trying to help you!" the boy sat up and she inspected him; obviously his shoulder was dislocated.

She grabbed him fiercely by the shoulder and diagnosed how it dislocated, planning to snap it the opposite way, and hollered at her companion to hold the chairman tight, who couldn't retaliate at the pain. "This will hurt a bit!" and snapped his shoulder back into place.

"Fuck you, herbivores," Hibari had tears in his eyes and a hitch in his voice. It hurt _that much_ for him to shed tears.

"You will thank me later."

But some strangers in even stranger uniforms came inside the school building, cutting their chit-chat short.

"So, this is the great Hibari everyone is talking about, huh?" One of them spoke like a thug, even his hair looks like that of a thug! "Ah I see you've snapped it back to place, huh?"

"Get the hell out of here!" the Chairman stood in all his might, albeit hurt he still commanded authority.

"Make me," the stranger taunted prompting the injured boy to lunge,

"I'll bite you to death!"

Only to be stopped by an arm stretched out by no other than Yamamoto, "Let me take care of this."

"Who are you to order me around?" another growl from the Chairman.

I-pin was astounded. Nobody ever goes against Hibari, well except for her, and she didn't believe that Yamamoto had it in him. Her brain then reminded her suddenly of the day that her senior protected her from the Chairman, in case she forgot.

The enemies took this as their chance, the blond guy that talked like a thug charging with his friend that had a beanie on his "young-master" haircut. Beanie suddenly got Yamamoto's sword in a tangle, literally, because he used some kind of yoyo and spun its thread around the sword and pulled on it while his ally reared to attack. Yamamoto will get hurt. That is, if I-pin doesn't move and put her sick skills into action.

Like a blur, Blondie suddenly crashed against the floor as a terrifying ax kick sent him to the ground. Soon Beanie joined him to the dust as he was smashed clean with a 1-2 combo. The other two boys, and all the other people for that matter, watched in awe.

I-pin stood above the fallen thugs, clearly the perpetrator of their fall. As she turned, Yamamoto and Hibari had a sight to behold for black, inky flames burned on her forehead. It slowly faded though as she felt that they were no longer in trouble as the two thugs scat.

Tsuna came running in, well aware of what danger had happened. And he was just in time to see the last of the flames to go out. "I-pin… those flames are…" he said in disbelief.

I-pin who was normal around him suddenly got shy. "T-This is…"

The brunette quickened his pace once again until he reached his sister, subsequently placing a hand to check her forehead. Tsuna finally came to this conclusion: "The same as mine."

The other students and staff that were present were awed as well. But because it happened all too quickly and that it was highly improbable, they all disregarded the part that concerned the flame on I-pin's head.

But some other higher organization won't be too happy with it. And Tsuna and the boys will have to do a lot of explaining.

"Good luck with that," said Hibari as he retreated and out of the lobby. Hopefully he's heading to the hospital to have his shoulder checked; he might suffer complications upon neglecting it.

It was so much trouble; the brunette boy could only bite his lips. What would he say when somebody asks him? They were, in any case, coming in and could ask what happened, especially those that witnessed it. What to do?

Yamamoto was the first to react, "Come on, you two. There's no point in standing here," and he ushered his friends to get their shoes changed and performed 'smile and wave' tactics to whoever was thinking of asking about the little ordeal.

-cloud-

The three of them got into their respective classes and everyone just eyed them cautiously. The rave of 'the morning event' has died down a bit, probably due to the teachers controlling the situation, but something tells Tsuna something else happened.

Eventually, Iemitsu will arrive at school to pick up his kids due to a teacher's call, and the group, minus the other girls, had to discuss the matter at hand before they lose the chance. So they began,

"What was that commotion this morning?" Gokudera was dying to know; he didn't get the chance to join the free-for-all.

Yamamoto was the one to answer after seeing I-pin and Tsuna totally clammed up. "Well, Hibari suddenly came in a barrel-roll then came two thugs. One of them was the guy from the other day."

This revelation shocked Gokudera. But he had to hear the whole story.

"Anyways, I-pin here," he put a hand on her head gingerly, a deep frown on his face matched by Tsuna, then continued, "Defeated them fast and had lit up black flames in Dying Will M—" only to be cut off by the brunette's furious waving of hands.

"Tsu-nii, I… There's no need to hide it from me. With this much knowledge you all have, I think it's about time we all got honest…" I-pin finally spoke, her eyes radiantly brave, and Yamamoto's hand still hadn't left her head.

There was no point in denying it anyway, so Tsuna agreed. "Well, I-pin… Where do we start?"

"How about me?" a small child suddenly came from the sky in a parachute and had fallen exactly on I-pin's waiting hands. The cute kid that wore a suit and fedora, sporting a curly sideburn to boot, introduced himself in a grandiose manner, "Chaosu, I am the Home Tutor, Hitman Reborn!" and his pet chameleon crawled in front of his hat.

"You're like my master," I-pin wondered out loud as she examined the child in her arms.

Upon hearing what his sister just said, Tsuna was surprised and angry at the same time. "Like your master? What are you saying?" He opted that Reborn not show himself to his sister who had nothing to do with the Mafia. But now she was saying that she knows somebody like Reborn, a baby that could talk straight and do a lot of mighty things, events more sinister were happening without him knowing.

But the baby continued and cut him off, "So you can go into Dying Will Mode on your own, eh?"

I-pin nodded. Not a moment longer another baby, dressed in red, sporting a braid, landed on the young girl's head, that which no longer had a hand on, after he performed a somersault from Hibari Kyoya's head, who magically appeared and was now in a sling.

"It's been a while, Reborn," the baby in red greeted. "I-pin, now that you have shown yourself to the enemies, I'm afraid I can't let you around on your own." He warned.

"But Master Fon! I only wanted to protect my friends," to which Hibari snorted. Being considered as a friend of somebody wasn't exactly his point of existence.

"You could have done that without activating the Dying Will flames." Fon reprimanded with a firmer voice as his point didn't seem to get across her. But it did. It's just that, she wanted to justify her cause. And with an even stronger voice his sermon continued, "In front of innocent people, no less."

Fon closed his eyes, trying his best to calm down. When he opened them, he continued, "The situation of these boys is quite the predicament already," he motioned to Tsuna's gang, Hibari included, "And we do not want you as another burden. Do you want that?"

The girl shook her head.

"Good then. In a few days you are not to wander away from your brother. During when I will arrange for somebody to become your watcher. And he will do the job after this whole mess blows over."

Even Reborn agreed to it.

I-pin cringed. Her master will surely come up with the worst and cruelest person to watch over her. She looked at everybody present. There was Tsuna but she was sure that something is going on related to the Mafia, which she has extensive knowledge of, and she cannot impose any more on him; Gokudera was there but aside from their affinity to studying there is nothing else to share and that he gets annoyed easily; Ryohei is… his energetic presence is too much while Lambo, who isn't present also, always gets into fights with her. As for Hibari he will not do it even if she pleaded.

Yamamoto, who smiled wide at her when she turned to him, was the only one left. It was as if he knew what exactly she was thinking. The boy, brimming with confidence from her plea spoke, "I'll do it," which was turned down horribly by I-pin's master, favoring somebody else.

Of course. Why would I-pin's master pick from them?

Fon explained, "You see, my boy, you are to fight alongside Tsuna against your current enemies. Can you possibly bring I-pin with you and let the enemies know of her abilities and put her in a dangerous situation that could very well spell the end of the world?" He bit his tongue to sotp himself from spilling the beans. Anger immersed him so much that the prospect of losing his precious student made him slip. Then he turned to I-pin once again, his voice stern but his eyes very gentle, "As I said, you are to stay with your brother at all times until their battle is over."

"But!... Fuuta!?" I-pin was teary eyed. She hadn't seen him in a while since some thugs came after him and his power. He's been in the care of CEDEF for the past years for safety and use of his abilities.

Reborn whistled to this, a signal to Fon that he will take over; the latter was more than grateful.

"I guess that's that. Tsuna, you have to concentrate about your opponents, got that? And maybe train a bit with I-pin?" he looked at the girl and was glad that she was willing to contribute to their cause even without knowledge of its entirety.

Tsuna and the other boys nodded but then were curious if Hibari agreed with them, only to see that the boy in question was no longer in sight. And so was Fon.

"Do those two have some teleport technique or something?" Yamamoto asked with a comical grin.

"More importantly," Gokudera intervened before the stupidity spread, "What was that black flame that Yamamoto spoke of?" his eyes narrowed at I-pin, who was now defenseless and torn; they had promised to be honest with each other after all .

* * *

**I originally thought of it as I-pin being the Decimo but I gave up on that. Maybe some other time. C: And I'm still thinking of another tragic ending but the readers can sway me (this is what they call fan service :P ).**

**That's the end of it. Thanks for reading up to this point. Please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own KHR!**

**Warning: Angst, romance, awkwardness and shiz. C;**

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The Wall You Call Apathy

-Your Smile Is Your Best Mask-

She promised that she would go batting with him on Saturday, but it always got rescheduled due to many Mafia-related events going on around them. Truth is, she almost forgot about it because of how focused she was on her cram school. The only way that she remembered was because he called her, asking where she was. Luckily, she hadn't rode the bus home yet.

So she was running. The game station was not that far after all and she didn't want to be more late so she chose to tire her legs. In the middle of her run, to which she wasn't even breaking a sweat, it started to rain of all things. She cursed under her breath as she made it under some shed. And it didn't look like it was going to stop.

Everyone had boarded the bus but she was left there because she was waiting for something else. The rain seemed to mock her as she stood there. She was hurrying yet it poured, almost soaking her to the bone. But she couldn't help but catch a raindrop; it had a certain healing to it. She was starting to feel like she had a fever due to her sprint and the rain cooled her a bit, making her think of things, all sort of things.

"Yamamoto-senpai," her other hand unconsciously fished her phone out of her bag and then dialed on it, she supposed, as she was now listening to ringing.

Waiting… she was waiting to release that power so that there would be somebody, someone to think that it was magnificent. But all she got was scolding from her master. Isn't power supposed to be used to save those that are precious to you?

Her hand slowly closed on the last raindrop she caught, bringing it close for her to see, only to be torn from her musings by a familiar chortle of a boy always full of mirth but is also capable of many things.

Yamamoto smiled at her as she turned. The boy got under the shed and closed his umbrella. "The rain suddenly poured, huh?" he asked but the loud pattering of the rain made it inaudible.

"What?" I-pin asked and approached him, making sure that she had stored away her phone.

"You were playing with the rain a while ago." Yamamoto instead changed the subject; the earlier one was pointless any way.

I-pin nodded. "I was supposed to go batting with him…" sadly she replied. She was referring to The Rain apparently and it made Yamamoto laugh again.

"The rain doesn't mind," and he looked up at the grey sky, "Besides, the rain still has some time left."

"That day," I-pin didn't know where to start but went on nevertheless, "I didn't mean to be so cryptic. I had never actually used it before."

"Not even in your assassination missions?"

The question was so unexpected that the way I-pin snapped her head at him could have possibly snapped her neck off. But when she saw his face, he had a smile unlike his other smiles; it was serene, like he was so relieved. But there was no way to know if it was real or not. And that made the young girl sad.

"Your smile betrays your innocence."

"So does yours."

She lowered her head. The feeling of having no face to show him ate at her; it was painful like the burn of the words she heard.

"Back then, I was surprised that you helped us defeat the twins. It was against your master's wishes."

Ah, the fight with the Kokuyo gang. Despite the warnings of her master, I-pin went out and killed an escaped prisoner by Reborn's orders. That time she didn't even use her flames. Why she even used them to protect both Yamamoto and Hibari out of friendship was something she cannot understand herself. She knew the consequences, she learned it the hard way, but still…

The boy gripped his forearm, the one that got bitten by Joshima Ken, a scar was left as reminder of the beginning of his life-to-be-unspoken. "You killed him, didn't you?"

The question remained unanswered.

"But you know, I've been treating this whole Mafia thing like a game that it hadn't crossed my mind that things like those do happen. The truth is, I didn't even know what kind of thing I bit and that I bit too much. Now it's nothing but a mess." Such grim things he said but the same serene smile hadn't left his face as he went on a single breath. Still staring up at the sky and latching onto his forearm, his words flew one by one,

"I always get the feeling that I'm gonna die soon. And that it was a really, really, really bad decision." The smile he wore became a big grin and the happiness that he was about to say, I-pin will never be able to see what it looked like for she kept her head down in bitterness. "But I wouldn't have met you."

"Stop pressuring her, Gokudera!" I-pin suddenly shouted. Her uneasy eyes found a similar gaze from him. Her personality, or rather her denial of the apparent attraction between them, made her passive-aggressive instead of dealing with the problem head on.

"Haha, I remember that one. Gokudera was asking you a lot of questions back then." He paused and swallowed hard, "I am pressuring you, aren't I?"

They didn't go batting that day. Instead, Yamamoto shared his umbrella on her way home, to protect her from the rain.

-rain-

The following Monday, the always happy Yamamoto Takeshi was down in the dumps. When noon break came, he took a vacant seat near a window and stared at the cloudy sky. At this time of the day, he should have been in Tsuna's classroom, picking up the guys for lunch. Yet there he was, glued to the seat he borrowed.

"I feel like I'm losing to Hibari," he mumbled.

"How can you say that? We never won against Hibari one-on-one anyway."

The baseball nut almost jumped from his seat when he heard Tsuna speak. What surprised him more was that Ryohei was arguing with Gokudera, loudly, and he didn't hear _that_.

"What are you doing here?" Yamamoto asked with genuine dumbfounded tone.

"To get you for lunch, idiot! What else?" Gokudera answered in his usual way.

"You can go on ahead. I don't feel hungry," Yamamoto beamed at them but a certain quality of his usual smiles wasn't present with this one; it did not blind Tsuna, so to speak. If anything, Tsuna saw through it but the other two were pushy, causing him to be dragged away.

-rain-

I-pin rejected the idea of eating with her friends that day. Whatever the reason was behind it was well beyond the two girls, Kyoko and Hana. Yet they were smart enough to not push it.

"I know, I know, you're on a diet," Hana teased and left with Kyoko.

After a few minutes, I-pin left her seat and her classroom to stare out the window by the hallway. In a sigh, she decided to look up at the sky, only to see a flash of a familiar face from the wing occupied by the second-years. He hadn't noticed her yet so she decided to leave him be and avoid unnecessary awkwardness. Backing away from the window, she then bumped into somebody in her futile attempt at avoiding Yamamoto. She was quick to bow and apologize.

The person she bumped brushed it off quick and went on his merry way.

_I really thought that it was Hibari that time. Ah, I've been reading too much manga._

-rain-

"Such a boring class!" I-pin groaned as she pressed a button on the vending machine. Her history teacher gave them a fifteen minute break because she too felt that the students were getting sleepy.

Sometime after she decided to go back to class, Hibari confronted her, saying that it was against the rules to loiter. It was some ludicrous reason just to get her to fight, was what she thought. She didn't give a damn anymore and lunged at Hibari, starting by throwing her empty can into the air.

Hibari, seemingly distracted by the can, was almost punched on the face if he hadn't been fleet-footed. The punch actually clipped him, turning into a red blister fast.

"Hmph, I'll bite you to death!" as he turned to I-pin who was once again holding her can and was readying to throw it again. "Do you think that will work the second time?"

"Oh yes it will. Especially if I'm fighting a crazed carnivore!" The girl threw it again but this time aimed at his face. The distance between them allowed Hibari to skillfully swipe at the can and it hit the ground with a clang. To which I-pin mocked, "Sir Chairman, littering is against the rules, sir."

The Chairman smirked at her and made her stand defensively. But it shocked her to see him pick up the can and walk towards the nearest bin. Yet a can swiftly thrown at her determined that it was a lie.

The poor can met her palm and was volleyed across, sending it back to Hibari who was about to attack. Disgruntled again, Hibari had grown tired of it and slammed the can with his hand, aiming it towards the wall. He could care less about littering because he will surely pick it up later after he had taught this deft herbivore not to cross him.

His punches were evaded one by one and the herbivore looked like she was enjoying a dance, with all the showy twirls she's been doing.

"Wait!" I-pin suddenly stopped evading. "I'll be late for my class! I'll see you later Chairman," and then bowed, after which she took off in a very fast walk. Before she got too far though, she had to tell Hibari how their game went, "Thank you! We haven't played in a while Kyo-san!"

The chairman simply watched and when he was about to turn, the can on his foot reminded him that it still needed to be thrown away. The boy picked it up, inspected the dents for a while, ultimately throwing it to the bin.

"Graceful as ever," and the carnivore took off as he was unable to catch his prey.

Good times.

-rain-

A lot of students flooded the front gates a few minutes after the bell rang. I-pin watched them go as she waited for her own friends; not a care in her mind. By the time they got there, they saw I-pin speaking with Hibari, which is a second time for Yamamoto that same day, and were surprised as he was amicable towards her. It turns out that I-pin's master, Fon, was there in the girl's arms, waited by the Chairman.

"You know Boss, I am starting to be suspicious of your sister." Gokudera's voice was laced with venom. Tsuna didn't want to believe it so he gave off a girly shriek.

The dynamite expert did an investigation on I-pin but of course he only had the Sawada family to ask, and some unnamed reliable sources. He had uncovered a lot in just a small span of time with simple innocent questions directed at Tsuna's parents.

"When I asked her what those flames are, she answered with 'I don't know' but I'm pretty sure she knows a lot of it. Whatever the secret is, I'm sure that her master is pulling strings, getting Hibari on his side too."

"What!?"

"Why don't we listen to what they're talking about?" Lambo, who was missing on all the action had decided to appear for once, offered.

"What!?"

"I'm on the same page as Stupid Cow," and the two scuttled off to eavesdrop while Yamamoto told them to respect privacy.

"This is a public domain, dimwit!"

"Hey, don't do it!" Tsuna mouthed. He did not want Hibari catching his friends. They had just returned from the hospital bed after all.

The two boys who were left stood there because: one, they did not want I-pin and Fon to cut their conversation short because of their intrusion; and two, they did not want to eavesdrop despite their great curiosity.

From afar, the two watched I-pin raise her master by the armpits like he was a real baby, which he is but is also not, with Hibari close by, who is also the spitting image of her master. The students that were leaving did look at them, mostly girls with an obvious surprised disgust as they eyed I-pin, but was afraid enough not to walk too close because of Hibari's presence.

"I wonder what they're thinking…" the athlete wondered out loud. Tsuna looked at him with questioning eyes, causing the former to shake his head. "Sometimes you're really clueless, Tsuna."

Tsuna counters, "And sometimes you're really perceptive."

-rain-

"I'll see you later, Master!" I-pin waved goodbye, now in good spirits.

The two boys who had decided to listen in, Lambo and Gokudera, came out of their hiding spot and met up with the other two boys, Tsuna and Yamamoto, who now had Ryohei, Kyoko, and Hana in tow.

Hana was most curious, "Hey there, I-pin! So, why were you talking to the Chairman?"

"Oh, I was just playing with his baby brother, is all. He's very fond of me." A little earlier the girl was sad and now she was happy, somehow worrying her friends.

"Are you alright, I-pin? Did the Chairman extort from you, or something?" Kyoko asked.

Lambo and Gokudera shared knowing looks, making Tsuna move in between them and elbow them on the sides at the same time.

"I'm just kidding, Tenth!" Gokudera pleaded but Tsuna still looked upset.

-rain-

Haru joined them at some intersection they passed. It was much livelier with her around, not to mention that Reborn had also joined them from some other dimension.

Lagging a bit, from where I-pin walked she can see everybody's backs, all of them fighting to keep their lives and for some other reason, while she fights to kill. Saddened again, the poor girl heaved a sigh; it didn't go unnoticed by a few. But Yamamoto was quick to her side and all of them knew it was going to be alright.

The young athlete started with a smile, "What's with the sigh?"

"Nothing really. It's just that… everyone's… fighting together and you have no problems trusting one another. While I recently threw the group into a loop."

"Wow! That rhymes!"

"It does, doesn't it?" I-pin giggled.

"Frowning doesn't really suit you. You should always smile!" This statement made something snap inside I-pin. All those days, they were smiling, he was smiling, but they were all carrying such heavy burdens that they couldn't even tell her that they have problems. It pained her so to be kept out of the circle when she knows so much about the circle.

"Like you do even when you're faking it?" It was a grave mistake and I-pin didn't mean for it to go that way. It was starting to get to her nerves, of how Yamamoto-senpai is using his smile as a mask, and slipped out. But her big mouth wouldn't stop yapping, "I'd rather see Hibari-san frown all day long, at least he's not faking anything." I-pin shut her lips tight and clamped a hand to her mouth. She could not believe herself.

Yamamoto was hurt gravely by what she said. First, her rejection; second, her little show with Hibari; and now his smiles? He was angry for the first time. "What did I do to deserve this?"

The rest stopped abruptly and then looked back; Yamamoto was shouting of all things.

But the animated show of emotions did not faze I-pin at all, "I'm sorry." She knew she was also at fault and not any one of them was faultless so with a poker-face she pulls this one off, "But I have a lot of feelings that I have to sort out." Trudging ahead to escape, she turned and walked back, like she forgot something important, walked up to Yamamoto and took all her courage to not stutter from embarrassment, "P-Please do not f-forget yourself. Take care and study."

She thought so. That she was going to pour it out someday and it will reach her brother too.

-rain-

I-pin headed to her part-time work as quickly as she could. Despite the great importance and priority of studying, the young girl never forgot about her duty as an employee. The boss was surprised to see her.

A few minutes before the time she needed to go home though, a group of boys with coiffed hair stood outside the ramen shop, as if looking out for potential chicks but the people inside the shop knew better. All of the customers tried their best to finish their orders while the employees struggled with the take-outs. Soon enough, the place was devoid of customers. The manager told I-pin to leave but he was too late for the leader of the boys had seen her already.

Upon seeing Hibari with her master along, I-pin acted as if she didn't know them and bowed to welcome the unwelcomed guests. The manager was surprised at her behavior but thought of it as for the best. The young employee was about to leave but was stopped by the ring leader,

"Herbivore, where do you think you're going?" Hibari asked coldly but this was no foreign action to I-pin.

The girl bowed again then raised her head with a professional smile, "I was about to serve you with the best ramen that is on our menu, sir." And the cook took this as signal to make what it was that was implicitly ordered. Hibari was astounded with her skills; he noted that she could be a great geisha if she wished.

Without him asking, I-pin led them to the best seats there are, although she was surprised that the other boys weren't there to eat. They just stood there as Hibari got comfortable in his seat.

Excusing herself to fetch the food, she left and when she met her manager, who was looking incredibly nervous, she told him within earshot of the intimidating boy, "What's wrong sir? I think the good man there," I-pin pointed at Hibari, "Would really appreciate it if his brother didn't get scared of us." Then she picked up the tray that had the bowl of ramen and had asked for another set of utensils and returned to Hibari's table.

Setting down all that there is to prepare, she whispered to make sure that other employees couldn't hear her, "Is there something I need to know, Master?" and then continued with normal voice, "Is there anything else that you need?"

"Nothing, nee-chan," Fon spoke in a very childlike manner, playing along. "Oh, I know. Why don't you play with me?"

I-pin could see her manager shiver and almost faint when she looked over her shoulder but he also had the look of 'Do whatever he says.'

"Okay." Thus she had reason to stay at their table. But feeding and playing with Fon was no pretend.

Fon was serious again as he got out of the manager's sight. He spoke very quietly but was very strict, "You keep on disobeying me," referring to all the times that she helped the Vongola and causing the girl to bow in disgrace. "I know you would say that you were just protecting your friends and that's just fine because you didn't use your powers when you fought. Which I am glad for," the baby then offered a sincere smile and patted his student's head, "It's worth merit, my child. All I want is your safety. So make sure to hide yourself, alright?"

"Yes master." Finally, something that went right.

"Nii-chan," Fon called to Hibari, "Onee-chan is pretty, isn't she?" returning to playing the child role. Hearing it made the young girl flustered and bright red even before Hibari answered, while the boy in question eyed her as he slurped noodles. Leaving his food and inelegantly wiping his mouth, as his hand fell back to the table, he showed a smirk.

"Sure, why not. And I think you're not an ordinary herbivore because of your black flames. I guess you're strong."

Just for those who wondered, Hibari grew up in a Yakuza family, witnessed a lot of parties, and had learned how to act properly. It was a step to becoming the classical leader of his clan and his present subordinates. Also, the tactfulness he learned is useful in many _other_ ways. But his daily routines didn't need any of those, so he just rolls off his tongue however he wants.

By all means, being called strong by the Disciplinary Committee Chairman was the highest possible compliment there is, and the young girl couldn't help but blush brighter at the boy's words. "You s-spoil me, Kyo-san." I-pin said out of courtesy. If not for her stutter, she might have come off as a good hostess.

"Why not? Anything for you. But you shouldn't have used it back there. I could manage by myself." And Hibari went back to his noodles with an obvious honey glow to his cheeks.

Fon wanted to be Captain Obvious apparently, "Ooh, nii-chan is blushing!"

If possible, the two youngsters would hit him.

* * *

**Done with the long one. Oh but from here on every chapter would be longer… Just kidding. Didn't mean to do so, it all just exploded in my head in a frenzy and it became like this. Hopefully I'm leading you readers I can't find any words to replace the japanese honorifics.  
**

**Thank you for reading up to this point and please leave a review, even hates are welcomed. Just tell me anything about the story. It's better than looking at traffic stats. C:**


	4. Chapter 4

**Please do not bother yourself with the chronological order. I, myself, got confused. So don't. Either way, this should be like my previous entry, Random Thoughts, where in most of the chapters are random but unlike that entry, the chapters here happen in the same universe and timeline. Just think of it as several 100-liners being put into a single chapter. C:**

**I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

* * *

**The Wall You Call Apathy**

-Inescapable Dream-

"Kyoya, keep quiet just like when I spank you when you've done something bad. Right now you are weak, that's why I'm protecting you."

"But Daddy…"

"No buts… he's coming back, Kyoya. Remember, Father and Mother loves you very much. And keep your promise."

The last whisper Hibari heard during that harrowing night always haunted him in his dreams. Nightmares that show a man dying on top of him. The slayer running a blade through both of them, cutting through the young one's flesh; its cold steel lingers still in his nerves.

Every time he wakes, he is covered in sweat, heaving and throat sore like he shouted for an hour. There was but a scar, a grim reminder of the past that drives him to the future.

-Match Maker-

"Good morning, Kyo," Fon greeted as the last plate had been set down. Even with his small body he could still cook, but wary spicy food. "Eat your breakfast so you can go to school."

"Baby," the younger copy started and was happy that breakfast had red meat, "Stop playing the matchmaker."

"Your parents did spoil you, didn't they? What will I ever do about you being ungrateful?"

"All I'm saying is that it's futile. So stop trying."

A crease could be seen on Fon's brows and he couldn't help but feel pity for the boy. "You do realize that she's a pretty girl, no? A lot of boys are flocking to her."

"I don't care."

"Of course, you do. If you haven't that fear—" but a hand with a pair of chopsticks and covered with a purple aura, slammed on the table so hard that Fon jumped off to the kitchen counter in fear of it breaking.

"Shut up."

Fon laughed at his ignorance. "This is where you will see how brave you are. For courage is defeating your fear." The words sunk to the young boy although a bit slow. The arcobaleno was more than happy to be understood. The notion of winning is the best motivation for the boy. He is, after all, quite the ambitious one, saying that he would be the strongest. "By the way, we have to brush up on your blackmailing skills. I'm sure you've read that message from the other clan, yes?"

The boy nodded in between putting food in his mouth and chewing.

-Amends-

That day, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman was ticking like a time bomb, with extra violence on the side. The slightest mistakes from others would render him in a rampage. His recent defeat by the Kokuyo gang leader must have spurred this and the rumors of it were not being taken lightly. Because of this, a lot of the delinquents that had no affiliation with him had started to openly offend his sense of order and authority. But they can't defeat Hibari Kyoya. His defeat was an exception if not a miracle.

That and the exams had just finished and his name wasn't on the top of the list. Yes, that's right. Hibari Kyoya was actually an honor student despite his actions. Though he reasons that memorization can be done by anyone. And that 'anyone' had removed him from his throne. Fortunately for that someone, academics is not about brute strength, otherwise Hibari would be undefeatable and would plow his way through like a demolition machine.

As for I-pin, she did great on the exams. She might not have the first place but she's really happy that all the studying paid off and had given her better grades. That's a thing off of her mind.

Lunch break finally came after long hours of waiting and I-pin couldn't decide if she was excited or nervous about what she was about to do. So nervous that she had Lambo escort her through the school, all the while holding on to his sleeve like it was her lifeline. Finally in front of her destination and with Lambo gone to flirt with some random girl, she stood behind the door to Yamamoto's class. From outside she could hear his classmates having fun.

She reluctantly slid the door open and all eyes fell on her, except for a pair staring out the window.

"Yamamoto-senpai," I-pin called to him, hoping that he's polite enough to look at her and reject her, rather than ignore her completely.

The boy however was more than surprised to see her. Apparently, he too thought that she would ignore him. But the fact that the person he wanted to see was there to see him made his day.

"I thought you hated me," the athlete said as they walked through the hallway that was littered with students.

The discomfort that the both of them were expecting from each other was brought about the fact that Yamamoto wasn't able to meet her for their game. He was stuck in Kokuyo Land to fight the gang of that turf and he still has his forearm bandaged because of a "dog bite." It was very uncharacteristic of him to be shy towards a person but he was terribly so in front of I-pin when they met the following school day. And since Yamamoto was feeling such discomfort, I-pin thought that it would be better to leave him for a while.

I-pin shook her head. How can somebody be angry at someone as nice as Yamamoto? Sure, the guys can be jealous at him with all the talents he has, mind you the grades, but be angry at him? She thinks it's incredulous. "I think that's impossible."

"What are you trying to say now?" with a grin, he spoke with such high hopes. But beware high hopes.

"What I'm trying to say is that it's hard to hate somebody nice like you," although she could also mean that I really like you from the bottom of my heart but I can't seem to understand why it's not growing.

"Oh," disappointment evident in his features, Yamamoto looked the opposite way and scratched at his nape. "I was expecting some other answer but… oh well. I'm just glad you're not angry at me anymore!" and a very bright smile appeared on his lips.

I-pin smiled as well and thought up something cheeky, "I think we should call that smile of yours as Yamamoto Beam," running and laughing, she went down the stairs to meet up with Tsuna and the others, only to encounter the most vicious carnivore that there is in Naminori.

Hibari took out his tonfas and prepared to punish I-pin, "Running in the hallways is prohibited!" only to be smashed on the head with a kick from the baby Fon. From wherever he came from though, it's a big mystery.

Witnessing the rather embarrassing scene, instead of caring about her impending punishment, I-pin showed what guts she had by approaching the Chairman, "Hibari-san, are you alright?" She was genuinely concerned since the young Chairman wasn't raising his head to grit his teeth and say something 'I'll bite you to death' amongst others.

After a few seconds of brewing in his own anger, Hibari finally spoke thourgh clenched jaws, "I'm going to bite you to death…" but he stopped on his tracks by whatever means. His eyes trailed up, glaring at the identical eyes staring at him upside-down, his hair being subtly and painfully pulled. But then Fon turned to I-pin, acting like a real baby.

"Nee-chan, I'm glad to see you again! Can we play?" Fon said as students started to congregate because of the ruckus.

Unsure of what to do, I-pin looked at Yamamoto for answers and then at the lunch she made that he held. The answer is pretty obvious. "Yamamoto-senpai," she pleaded. Just when they get the chance to talk after the long and awkward disconnect, she suddenly got a request from an arcobaleno, her Master no less.

But Yamamoto shook his head, "If I win against Hibari-senpai, would you let me play with I-pin, Fon-chan?" he challenged.

Hibari laughed. Yes, he laughed but more on the lines of a grunt. "Really? You're over your head, herbivore."

"We'll see about that."

-Hate or Fear?-

"NO," was the flat answer by Hibari when he was informed by Fon that their next client is hosting a party and he has to be there WITH a date. "Why am I even attending that? I can't even drink since I'm under-aged!" He roared walking through the apartment and kept on moving all the while avoiding Fon's knowing gaze.

"It's the crowd, isn't it?"

"OF COURSE IT IS! YOU KNOW I HATE CROWDS. THOSE PUNY HERBIVORES." Hibari curled his fingers in a teeth-gritting anger, seething and growling. "AND WHY ARE YOU EVEN ASKING WHEN YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER?"

"It is because I do not like being presumptuous. Now calm down boy, so we can get this over with." A baby talking sense into a teenager, if someone saw it, it would have been hilarious, on the price of the teenager suffering a major ego drop.

But even if the adult-in-baby-body couldn't appease the rampaging Hibari. "I WILL NOT CROWD!" he shouted and the boy got out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

Fon shook his head, "What should I do about him?"

-Star-struck-

Sword unsheathed from its cloth casing, Yamamoto raised it ready whilst Hibari was simmering in his own anger and anxiety and I-pin had taken upon herself to side with the former boy along with her Master Fon on the landing of the stairs.

The Chairman, for a minute lingered with his head down, as if thinking if he really wanted to battle. Another moment, he lunged at Yamamoto, taking two steps at a time, who then took his bamboo sword higher, posing like a hawk to dive at his prey, although with a sword.

But then the Chairman stopped halfway in his attack, prompting his opponent to also stop. The boy, Yamamoto, because of his momentum slipped and fell about four steps below, with no injuries, to which I-pin panicked.

"Yamamoto-senpai!" and was quick to the literally fallen boy's side. On her way, Fon jumped to Hibari's shoulder without the onlookers suspecting anything of him because they were too busy with the athlete's state. The identical duo then left without a word and without a witness.

Yamamoto brushed off any dust that could have gotten on his uniform. "I'm fine, I-pin. No need to worry. This is nothing compared to Kokuyo Land," and he smiled again as he put back his sword.

Then the audience applauded and praised that he was unscathed albeit the battle was short. The boy was starting to be a star and he'll be debuting in the coming baseball competition too. The young girl marveled at how the other students gathered around her friend who was offering everybody a smile brighter than any politician she has ever seen.

They got back to what they were about to do—meeting up with Tsuna and the others. The sentiments she had a few minutes ago, she couldn't brush off with a simple shake of the head. And she felt like it had to be said,

"Wow, I don't think I can keep up with that," I-pin spoke as she went down the stairs in a hurry. Because of the commotion they made, Tsuna and the others must be dying of hunger by then.

"With what?" Yamamoto was genuinely dumbfounded. The two exited the main building of the school and had turned left to the back of the school.

Rounding a corner and into a grassy field shaded by trees, I-pin couldn't help but left out, or better put star-struck, "I never thought you were popular," and waved at their friends who were very ready to eat.

"Well, I do think you are as well because I'm not the only one who says you're pretty," with a smile, the boy beat her to where their friends congregated and took a seat for himself, saving the spot beside him for I-pin, who is bright red like a stop light and unwilling to move.

Tsuna is uncharacteristically not dense whenever it was about Yamamoto and I-pin, "What did you tell her again?" and then raised a brow. Must be his brother complex working.

-Invitation-

After some time spending on her homework, which no longer was homework because she did it at school while waiting for the others, I-pin retired for the day and had put away her things as she was readying to go home. But before she could leave, a shadow appeared by the classroom's door. The young martial artist was quick to defend but the shade was _not that dangerous_.

"Master Fon!" I-pin was surprised to see her master alone. These days, him and the Chairman were inseparable. "What is it?" she inquired as she picked up the little child and into her arms.

"I need a favor: Kyoya needs a date for a ball," the baby spoke without delay and seemed at a hurry.

Feeling the urgency in his words, I-pin skipped her excitement about a date and put herself on business mode, "When is this?"

"Well, this coming weekend. I don't remember giving you missions so I hope you can cancel your activities with Tsuna and the others?"

I-pin thought about that long and hard. She and Yamamoto both agreed earlier that they would reschedule their batting game on the same day of the coming weekend. Hopefully the ball isn't on Saturday. "Is it on Saturday?"

"It is, Saturday night. I know this is sudden and that you and Kyoya aren't that close anymore," which incited a frown from the young girl, "But could you please help him? I was thinking that it would be easier for him because it's you since you know of the on goings in our little Underworld."

Still, I-pin isn't giving any answer. She could call it quits; being alone and waiting for someone who isn't coming made her feel stupid. Well, with her personality she wouldn't exactly do it but then again, Yamamoto was very excited about the rescheduling; she guessed it was her turn to burst bubbles. Or they can play before lunch and eat and then she could prepare for the ball.

"Alright, I'll do it," she said with a smile. But then again, "But I don't have anything…" and blushed.

"I'll take care of it. And I'll waiver you, if you're worrying about your parents." With such agreement, Fon left the girl to her previous activities.

-VARIA-

They had been planning for this small get together and they finally did it, being outside and enjoying their selves. Hanging out in some café, they were chatting amongst themselves when an explosion erupted not too far, unsettling the kids just sitting outside the establishment.

Gokudera kicked off the table that had flown over him, "What the!?" He was quick to remember his other friends but was glad to know that I-pin and Lambo had protected the other two girls with them.

Uneasy yet sure that it was the Mafia causing trouble again, I-pin put on a very troubled face despite being completely calm inside and then pulled the two dazed girls up to their feet. "Haru-san, Kyoko-san we should get out of here!" and supported Haru while Lambo carried Kyoko. As she struggled to carry her load, Yamamoto comes to help her, relief plastered on his face,

"I-pin, I'm glad you're alright," and once he carried Haru to a safer place, returned to Tsuna's side to help.

"Yamamoto-senpai!" The young girl tried to catch up to him, to help him, to protect him, but the words of her master rung in her head, like a terrible curse that incapacitated her and tied her to where she stood. Her body continued to try and move but it was like an unseen force stopped even the smallest of progress.

Lambo, who knew of her internal struggles, gave her a shoulder to cry on. And careful not to go overboard lest he wanted to be sliced from shoulder to hip by a very sharp katana or be pummeled by tonfas.

-Regret of not Helping-

I-pin hadn't heard from anyone after the incident in the café that they were staying at. She presumed that some big Mafia event happened again and she believed that it is not her business if they wouldn't tell her anything. So, she concentrated on her studies despite the persistent cold feeling in her stomach that she must be doing something for them.

Well, in a word, she was. She was to be Hibari's date for the coming Saturday. As it came to mind once again, the girl found it hard to return her focus on her subject. She yielded after a lot of different hairstyles started to flood her mind. Not only that but many different dresses came to her mind, too.

_I wonder if Master has told Papa and Mama… Papa's being at home more recently. Does this have anything to do with CEDEF?_

I-pin left her table to check out the living room since it is where Iemitsu lounges around when he's home. But she found no one.

_I hope everyone's safe._

So she went back to her room. But something was amiss. And the angry voices behind her Tsuna-nii's door was enough proof. The uncomfortable aura came from there.

"I don't accept this!" She heard Tsuna shout, quite displeased of whatever was going on. I-pin didn't want to hear it because, as she thought before, they would tell her if they need to; they had sworn to be honest. So she left with heavy feet and brought herself back to her room to study again.

Getting back to her seat, she noticed that her phone was lit up and checked the buzzing thing out, and what she saw was a string of messages and missed calls from Yamamoto, asking her if they could talk. His last message was he was standing outside their gate. Thus, she quickly donned a sweater and hurriedly got out, telling Mama that if she's needed, she'll be just nearby.

Upon exiting the house's main door with a click, I-pin saw a sullen figure by the gate. The shadow was clutching at its arm.

"Really, why didn't you just come in and asked for me?" I-pin could feel the same uncomfortable aura from Yamamoto; something big happened again.

"Well, I didn't want to bother anyone else. Tsuna is having the hardest time too…" The boy's voice wavered and she hadn't seen him like that in a while. It was dark and it took her long enough to see what bandages were taped on his face and what bruises he acquired from the earlier attack. It broke her heart to pieces; their hardship that she could have alleviated if she had helped. But no, she chose to wait from the sidelines and see them get hurt. Why didn't she help the same way she helped with the time that the Kokuyo pair attacked in Nami Chuu? What was so different back then?

With all the questions of her own conscience running in her head, I-pin wasn't sure what to do. She could only offer an embrace,

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry… I don't know why I didn't help… I…" and she went on with her voice muffled by his shoulder and her touch caused Yamamoto to flinch in pain. But she did not let go.

"Haha, I-pin lighten up a bit. I don't mind you hugging me and all, but it's hurtin'!" How could he still have the strength to laugh when even her slightest touch causes his legs to tremble in pain?

"How? How can you still say that?" and I-pin stepped back a bit to look at his wounded face but still did not let go of him, "I could have been there. I could have helped. I could have—" embracing him another time, noting her pressure on him so as not to hurt him.

"Then I have to get stronger, much stronger than you, much stronger than Hibari-san, so you wouldn't have to worry about me."

_What confidence…_ But it made I-pin more proud of him.

"Good luck and take care," but deep in her heart she had to rebuff him.

_Kyo-san will always be the strongest._

They parted there and hadn't spoken in a while after, as everyone was busy training for the upcoming battle against the assassins division of the Vongola, the Varia. Nothing but hope that her friends would triumph and return alive resided in young I-pin's heart.

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**That's done! Yeah, everything's getting serious and I just couldn't pass up the idea of writing something like this. Hahah still testing myself; I have a problem with my tenses. Anyway I hope you enjoyed. C:**

**Please leave a review. Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**It's been all YamaPin lately. So from here on out, it will be HibaPin!**

**I do not own KHR!**

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The Wall You Call Apathy

-Either way we're fated-

"You should do whatever you want to do before you marry me," his deep voice carried without a hitch but his usual dominating self softened a bit, probably because he wasn't exactly in any place to make any sudden movements. Hibari Kyoya was, in fact, cornered.

The ball to which he was invited by a client actually was a party for all the members of the Triad that were stalking in the shadows of Japan and were all planning on marrying him to their princess in order to have a bridge, for the Hibari family was starting to regain its former glory. Hibari did not agree to it but since so many swords and guns were pointed at him, with the limited resources he has, the way out might be too dangerous that it could demand his life.

I-pin was speechless, "W-h… This is…" and held her head in her hands, her eyes blank and body limp.

"Isn't this what you always wanted, herbivore?"

_When we grow up, will you marry me, Kyo-kun?_

"This is not what I wanted!" the young girl shook her head, "I don't want to force you!"

The Chairman smirked, "Who told you I'm being forced?" A grunt followed as all of the dangerous weapons were lowered, giving the boy some room for his usual self. "Either way, we're fated," and an unnatural wistful smile played upon his lips.

_Really, we're fated?_

_Uh-huh and when I grow up, I'm gonna be strong so I can protect you always!_

Despite Hibari's words, I-pin held both of her hands to her heart and had a sad face.

-VARIA-

"To be the aloof, drifting cloud who protects the family from an independent standpoint and whom nothing can ever bind," one of the Cervello continued to explain the Cloud Battle yet the person who should be listening most didn't even give a damn as he stood within the barbed-wire fences, bored to death.

As it is, the moment Hibari's been waiting for, to dismantle the tin can that was buzzing in front of him, has yet to come. So the aloof boy looked around covertly and saw two figures far off in the dark but he knew well to whom it belonged because one of them looked like it was praying. The deduction caused him to grunt, "I don't need your prayers because this thing can't beat me."

The machine that was called the Gola Mosca was defeated in a second right after the battle started.

I-pin released the breath that she was holding. The very act made Fon snicker. It was Hibari fighting a machine. Something like that isn't even worth his time nor effort. But what I-pin was more worried about was something of grander scale: Hibari had challenged Xanxus to a fight.

The fight was short as Xanxus wasn't exactly allowed to fight Hibari, to which I-pin was relieved. But the sudden malfunction of the felled machine again roused her worries of having the Chairman hurt. And he was hit on the leg.

As much as she wanted to run to him she stopped herself from doing so. Because to not sully the great Chairman's name meant more than helping him. So she stood there, wishing that the battle would just end.

_Bound by no one… yet he was forced to be bound to me. I wonder if… _

I-pin shook her head. Things such as vows do not hold meaning for Hibari.

_To be protected by him is more than enough, right?_

-Lucky Rainy Day-

_Thonk_

Two milk carton boxes dropped and change clinked as they were dispensed. The young boy, tall and athletic in build, bowed down to retrieve everything from the machine "Wow, lucky!" And when he was about to stand back up, the voice of a girl almost his age startled him; his belongings scattered on the floor.

"I'm sorry about that," I-pin said as she picked up his change.

Yamamoto laughed as he usually did, "It's fine. I'm glad that I haven't opened my milk yet." They straightened, then facing each other and staring eye to eye. Soon though, the intensity that I-pin's eyes held overwhelms the usual happy Yamamoto and turns him into an embarrassed normal boy. "What is it, I-pin?" He said as he looked to the side and scratched at his nape.

Then her eyes softened, "C-Can… Will you…" she too looked to the side, then down the stairs and at the corner of the corridor below.

Yamamoto was keen at where she looked, "Is there somebody by the corner? Somebody stalking you?" and was making his way to see for himself, only to be stopped by I-pin's firm hand on his arm that held his precious milk.

"Aboutwhatyou'vebeenalwaysaskingme,yes!" the girl shouted in one breath. At how loud it was, Yamamoto figured anyone on the lower level could have heard by the way they were situated near the stairs. That and he didn't understand a word she said.

"What?"

Beet red and getting shier by the moment, I-pin could barely speak, "Yes! I said yes, I want to be your girlfriend."

Now Yamamoto was sharing the blush. How much happier can he be? So, after asking for a hug, Yamamoto embraced her rather tightly, not that I-pin complained but his strength has grown, so to say.

But as they savored the moment, somebody named Hibari Kyoya was at the corner just after the stairs, listening carefully with a deeper frown than what he usually had.

-Turbid Fire-

Earlier that day, two students were talking in the beautiful office that was the Disciplinary Committee headquarters.

Bored and exasperated at the repetitive topic, Hibari sighed, "I told you, do whatever you want to do before you marry me," as he played with the small fluffy and yellow bird that was in front of him on his desk.

"What if I ran with somebody else?"

"Go ahead. It's not like I'd be suffering the consequences," the young Chairman replied as-matter-of-factly. He's right; it was the Triad that was asking for so much. "Besides, you wouldn't do that," and then his eyes rolled towards her, his gaze deep and piercing, causing the girl to blush.

Currently shy, I-pin squeaked, "You trust me too much." Suddenly, she had a serene smile as she watched the boy be nice to his pet (playfully crushing the bird under his palm but then releasing it).

"Not really," the simple statement caused the girl to flinch and Hibari's sharp stare wasn't helping soften the impact. "Although, I remember a small herbivore telling me how much she loved me before."

I-pin smiled wide. Hibari Kyoya talking of love is a miracle from whichever god that existed! Willing to push her luck, the young girl pried on, "You really do remember… But why do you hold on to such a memory? I thought you hated emotions." It was a miracle that they were holding such a long conversation. But you know what they say about those moments that you comment of how good it is, it suddenly blows up on your face.

"Because it was a memory before that night…" without him knowing, his pressure on the tiny bird was starting to crush it for real. It chirped and chirped until I-pin called to him and brought him back to the real world. Luckily, the bird only took it as play, suffering no such trauma.

"Kyo-san?" A hand she reached out to him in her worry; the boy had a blank stare after all.

Hibari bared his teeth as he felt her closing, his breath almost a hiss against his tightly drawn lips, "Don't crowd me, herbivore!" he roared. The way his hands gripped at the table looked like he was trying his best not to flip the table at her.

So, I-pin moved away quick and to the doorway, ignorant of any nerve she truck. "Hibari-san…" and then ran out.

Once Hibari was sure that I-pin had left, the boy face-palmed, "The hell did I just do?"

Fon swung by a few moments later. "I'm glad you realized the mistake by yourself…"

"What do you think of me, dense? I'm not like Sawada."

Fon shook his head, "Make sure that you wouldn't be dragging I-pin down with you. Because if you do…" the baby then jumped on his desk and stared into his eyes, "I'll kill you."

"Hmph. If I remember correctly, I was pressured to do it."

"Pressured? 'Either way, we're fated.'" These were the words that Hibari himself used during the ball wherein he agreed to his engagement with I-pin, although Fon spoke of them with a bit of sarcasm. "Was that part of the play?"

The young boy lost the crease on his brows and pat Hibird with utmost gentleness different from what he showed before. "I-pin is everything that's left now. My mother and father are dead." So much pain painted his face, covering any trace of his peaceful look a while ago, as he then balled his fists, "She saved me that night."

Fon knows of the story. It was the night that two kids suddenly appeared at his doorstep, both covered in black flames. Despite one of them looked Chinese, the two didn't look like they were from anywhere near. That was the extent of what he knew because he never dared ask the boy, who had become very emotionless by that time. He did try asking I-pin but she didn't know anything despite the fact that she was the one who generated the flames that covered them when they arrived.

"She erased the memories from her own mind, acting as if nothing happened." Stifled sobs could be heard from Hibari at that time.

It wasn't exactly the moment that Fon was expecting. He imagined the moment to be a happy one, Hibari showing emotions and finally moving on from his childhood trauma. The boy did show emotions yet it was a painful scene.

Turbid emotions soon swept through the young boy, "Do you know the feeling of being completely alone to wallow in despair? It was unbearable!" then he slammed his hand at the table, causing the little yellow bird to fly away.

"Why didn't you tell I-pin this? The master was right. Why didn't he when I-pin was trying her best to stay connected with him despite his solitude?

"…It's because she had moved on. Do you think, do you think that I have the strength to hurt her all over again? She was so frightened back then!"

And by the extended miracle that was occurring still, Fon couldn't pass up the opportunity. "Letting her go for only a moment and you're like this already," in a teasing tone.

Hibari shook his head and for a moment reveled at his own emotionality. Yet in a blink of an eye, he was his usual self, stone-cold. It was a signal to drop the topic. Fortunately, Fon saw it.

"It must have been painful, being asked whether she should say yes to Yamamoto-kun, when you're against it." Great. Now Fon just had to step into another minefield. But Hibari was already back to his self so the least that could happen was a duel. But the young boy still haven't lost his earlier chattiness, as unfortunate as it was.

"Hmph. Nonsense. She's doing it because she didn't want to impose on me. She knows. She knows that I can't..." and Hibari grit his teeth, "Do what that herbivore can do." He looked at his hand and then at the baby that was Fon. Breathing heavily, he reached for the child but stopped midway. The more he tried to close the gap, the more his body shuddered and sweated, his insides churning and turning. A cold sensation draped over him, as if some cold object was pulling his soul out of his body, his lungs getting cold along it. Raspy, he spoke, "I'm going… to die!" and quickly retreated his hand.

"But when I step on your head?" and Fon did so. Now standing on the boy's head, he did not garner the same reaction. But when he lay on his stomach atop Hibari's head and peeked at the young boy's face from where he was, his upside-down face meeting the boy's, Hibari quickly froze and looked deathly. And with it, the young Chairman quickly swiped at his head, too eager to swat the Arcobaleno like a fly.

"Stop it!" In embarrassment, the boy closed his eyes in efforts of calming himself. Once done, he continued, "Stop stepping on what's left of my pride."

"Kyo-san?"

It was more than humiliating, to be seen in such a weak state by the person he vowed to protect. Her eyes, her eyes, they held so much pity that he couldn't not stand to look at them, partly of sadness of seeing I-pin sad and partly of anger for being pitied. He needed no such thing!

"I don't remember anything but it's my fault, isn't it? That you're like that, that you hate human touch? Because I left you alone, you don't want to be with anyone anymore."

"What are you talking about? I'm not a herbivore like you. I don't need to crowd."

"Kyo-san! I know! There is something missing between living here in Japan and meeting Master Fon! There was a gap, always! And, and how about… why I can't remember how I started using my flames! You don't have to suffer alone anymore! I'll be here because we both have to regain something. If I have to wait for you to tell me, I would!"

"Then wait with that herbivore."

"Kyo-san…! Then I will wait. I guess… I'll see you later."

-Hate or Fear?-

The fate of being alone would have been easy if one had been alone from the very beginning. That aside, experiencing company in the middle of the fate and losing them once again is more painful. But the most painful thing is that the fated would have to push that one person away to somebody else and watch them prosper together, while negative emotions are smelt within his cauldron that is a soul.

As such, the Chairman watched as the presently popular couple Yamamoto and I-pin pass by a group of students who were wishing them a good relationship. He wondered, would the students still think the same if he were the one standing beside her? Of course not. He knows that everyone would just wish he would release I-pin. But then, he felt no pain as he thought of it.

There was one thing though, every time the two would hold hands, something within him is shaken. The memory of the sensation of warmth and love, everything, resurfaces and makes his skin tingle, both from fear and longing.

_My mother and father are dead. I-pin is everything that's left now._

"It will take some time…"

-The Past-

"I-pin?"

"Yes, Yamamoto-senpai?" the word senpai no longer a sign of formality but more of endearment, and every time the boy hears it, it's as if his ears flap in happiness.

"I was wondering," more like suspicious because somebody coaxed him by telling him that Hibari and I-pin are rather close, ahem Gokudera, and now that it has begun there was no turning back, "How come you seem to be familiar with Hibari-san? … Why are you blushing?"

The main reason was because she remembered that she was supposed to marry that boy. The event wherein he proposed wasn't all that romantic but the fact that she was asked when she was in the age of romantic daydreams exaggerated her reactions a bit. If she remembered correctly, she wasn't exactly giddy about it when they agreed.

"W-what!? I am!?" and the girl covered her cheeks cutely, garnering a chortle from the boy. "Well, Master Fon took care of us. Both… when we were young…" she fell silent after that.

"I-pin, are you alright?"

"I don't remember much but Hibari-san was always there for me when we were kids…"

"You don't seem that close anymore."

"Yeah. He started to hate crowds!" Even though she offered a smile, Yamamoto didn't believe her.

"You're worried, aren't you?"

"A bit," and it was an understatement. Ever since she overheard about her missing a memory, she had tried her best racking up her brain for it. But, no luck. "I just hope he gets friends."

"What are you talking about?" Yamamoto said over-enthusiastically and the girl just gave him a weird look. "We're already friends with him. We just have to wait," and had a Yamamoto Beam on.

_Then I will wait._

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Thank you for reading up to here. I know you guys do! The traffic stats told me, so please leave a review. :)


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